Before the construction of Halsey Hall, the women’s gymnasium had been confined to a small space in the basement of Schaeffer Hall known as the Crypt. With a new building and the advent of Elizabeth Halsey as director of women’s physical education, the athletic life of female students at the University of Iowa was transformed. Once confined to gymnastics, dance, and hygiene, women were able now to participate more fully in the sporting activities previously available only to men. The building, which now houses the Department of Dance and a Recreation Services satellite fitness facility (Fitness East), has also achieved a measure of fame as an exterior shot for the 1980s television sitcom, Coach, the title character of which was loosely based on former UI football coach Hayden Fry.